She held her breath and tried to spot if he were putting on a show for her.
But there was only truth and love in his eyes.
Releasing her breath, she whispered, "Oh, Killian."
He cupped her cheek. "It's the truth. And if being with you wasn't enough of a reason, then know that Black and Blue have grown fond of Tristan and Dr. Sid, too. Even without a cure of sorts to ensure I don't have any more episodes, I think I have the best chance at being the male you deserve here, on Stonefire."
"You are the male I deserve, and maybe more than that."
He smiled. "I'm not going to argue about who is more deserving than whom. How about we just agree to talk about any decisions related to our lives, so that we can forge a stronger future together?"
"I like the sound of that."
"Right, then open communication, no matter the topic. And let me start by saying how much I love you, Brenna Rossi."
"At least you didn't start a contest about loving me more than vice versa."
"Brenna," he growled.
At his tone and grumpy expression, she did something she hadn't done in days—she laughed.
His frown vanished at the sound. "I've missed that laugh. I hope it's the first in a long string of them to come."
"Maybe. It depends if you're amusing or not."
"You don't want to issue a challenge with me, Brenna."
"Don't I? Dragon-shifter males like challenges. It's even better when I best them at said challenges."
He moved his face closer to hers. "Then you'll like this challenge—let's see how we can help make our future the happiest it can be from here on out."
"That's one I can get on board with."
"Well, after everything we've both gone through, I think a happy future is well deserved."
Her brother squirmed a little, telling her he would wake up in the next few minutes. "Then kiss me quickly to start it because Ethan is going to need to be fed soon."
Her mate complied, slowly taking her lips and lingering as long as possible. Only when Ethan gave his first cry did he pull away.
Brenna and Killian picked up their pace and reached the great hall as soon as they could. She had a bottle warmed for her brother in short order and sat at the side of the room, with Killian next to her.
As she leaned against her mate, watching her brother eat heartily and taking comfort from the sounds of her clan members all around them, Brenna was optimistic. She may not have thought Stonefire was where she belonged, but now she couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She'd always treasure her time in Ireland, especially as she'd learned so much from Teagan and had met Killian there, but Stonefire was her future. And she was going to do whatever it took to protect her clan, her mate, and her family to give everyone the happy ending they deserved.
Epilogue One
A Few Months Later
Killian sat in one of the exam rooms inside Stonefire's surgery and resisted the urge to get up and pace the room.
Black spoke up. It's only been five minutes. And to think you say I'm impatient.
Blue nodded. He's right. Good things come to those with patience. The wait only means that Dr. Sid is being thorough.
Black grunted. I thought we talked about your optimism and toning it down a bit?
Blue raised his head. This is who I am. And I know you've grown fond of me, which means your threats no longer frighten me.
Black muttered a few choice words, but Killian jumped in. I'm not sure why I bother, but will you two ever stop arguing?